Process of and apparatus for treating garbage



(No Model.)

E.HOLTH AUS. PROGESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR TREATING GARBAGE.

No. 533,898. Patented Feb. 12, 1895. m;

'with water.

UNITED; STATES PATENT OFFICE.

.EMIL HOLTHAUS, OF OANARSIE, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO CYRUS C. OURRIER,

OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR TREATING GARBAGE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 533,898, dated February 12, 1895.

Application filed October 1, 1894.

T0 00% whom it may conceit e.-

Be it known that I, EMIL HOLTHAUS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Oanarsie, Kings county, New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methods of and Apparatus for Consuming Gases Distilled from Garbage, fully described and represented in the following specification and the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the same.

The object of this invention is to treat garbage for the extraction of the grease and the production of a fertilizer, without discharging any-noxious fumes into the atmosphere.

In the present invention the garbage is heated in a tight receptacle, the products of distillation are passed into a jet condenser where the vapors are condensed, and a portion of the gases are absorbed by admixture The fluids in the condenser are then discharged by a suitable vacuum pump into a separator tank, where the water is drawn from the gases, and the latter are discharged to a furnace for combustion. Heretofore, where such gases have been conducted to a furnace for consumption the gases have been liable to ignite in the conducting pipe, and to produce an explosion in any vessel containing such gases.

An important feature of the present invention consists in the interposition of an ejector in such conducting pipe to prevent the reflux of the gases from the furnace to anyves--" sel in which the gases are contained. By the use of such ejector, a partial vacuum is pro-- duced within the separating vessel, and the discharge of the gases from'the water is thus much more perfectlyeffected, While the ejector operates as a check valve upon the backward flow of the gases.

- A steam boiler is commonly required to furnish steam for heating the garbage receptacle, and the uncondensed gases may be used to increase the combustion in'the furnace of such Serial No. 524,665. (No model.)

ive gases are absorbed by the water, and the remaining gases are wholly combustible and are thus readily consumed. The whole operation is thus conducted without the productionof any odor whatever.

The garbage receptacle may be most readily heated by means of a steam jacket, and steam pipes may also be extended inside the receptacle to heat the material by conduction.

To wholly eliminate the grease from the garbage, a solvent, as naphtha, may be mixed with-the material, and the residue of the material may be wholly deprived of odor, by mixinga small proportion of sulphuric acid therewith.

The particular construction for the receptacle, the particular means for heating the same, and the treatment of the material with chemicals to produce a useful fertilizer is not claimed herein, as it forms no part of the present invention, and has been fully claimed in my application, Serial No. 510,620, filed May 9, 1894, and allowed July 20, 1894, for process of and apparatus for treating garbage.

The invention consists in the apparatus and mode of operation hereinafter describedand claimed.

The annexed drawing shows the required apparatus in a diagrammatic form, the parts being merely indicated without showing them of their relative proportions, and the ejector being drawn upon a larger scale than the other parts to exhibit its internal construction.

A basement Bis shown under the garbage receptacle to receive the material when discharged therefrom.

a, designates the tight garbage receptacle,

and b a steam boiler for supplying steam to Too E represents a Vacuum pump for drawing the condensed water and unabsorbed gases by suction from the condenser h by pipe u,

and discharging them to a separator tank 3' by pipe u. A piston pump, or other form of vacuum pump may be used for discharging the fluids from the condenser to the separa tor tank. The tank is shown with manhole 7c and its top is connected by a pipe Z with the space beneath the boiler 12. In thisspaoe is shown the grate m, the bridge-wall n, and a box 0 behind the bridge-wall with perforations upon the upper end. The pipe Z discharges behind the bridge-wall into such box. The front end of the boiler is provided with fuel door 13 and breeching connected with a chimney stack q, and the boiler is furnished with a steam dome 7' having pipe connected with the steam pipe 0, by cock r.

The steam inlet upon the ejector E is connected with the steam pipe 0 by branch 0' having a cock .9. Such steam ejector may be made of any suitable design to draw the fluid from the separator tank j, and an ordinary construction is represented at E where the ejector is drawn in section, to exhibit the construction, as well as the boiler setting and pipe Z.

The pipe to is connected with the water inlet of the pump E and the pipe 1 with the water inlet of the ejector E, and the separator tank is thus connected upon one side through the pump E with the jet condenser h, and upon the other side with the boiler furnace through the ejector E.

The water level in the separator tank j is represented by dotted lines w, and the discharge pipe for the Water is extended through the side of the tank at such level with its inner end if bent downward to prevent the escape of the gases. The outer end If may discharge at any convenient point, and may be prevented from siphoning the water out of the tank by an air inlet 1; upon its upper side.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows: A charge of the garbage is inserted through the manhole d, and a suitable proportion of water through the pipe f. The receptacle is heated and the garbage is stirred by rotating the shaft e. The products of distillation are discharged to the condenser h where all the vapors are condensed, and the vacuum pump E then delivers the fluids to the separator where a partial vacuum is produced in its upper part by the ejector E. The liquid flows out through the pipe t while the gases pass through the pipe I to the furnace, where they are wholly consumed or discharged upward from the breeching. The momentum of the steam jet in the ejector E wholly prevents a reflux in the pipel and thus obviates the danger of fire communicating to the separator tank and exploding the mixed gases therein. The heat generated by the combustion of the gas from pipe Z under the steam boiler suffices very nearly to generate the steam required for operating the garbage tank, the vacuum pump and the ej ector, and the cost of fuel for the treatment of the garbage is thus greatly reduced. When the garbage has been sufficiently distilled, the grease is drawn from the pipe 9 and the water from the pipef, and such pipes are then closed and the residue of the material wholly dried by rotating the stirrer and drawing off the vapors to the condenser h. \Vhen properly dried, the material is discharged from the manhole d, and if treated by suitable chemicals, as hereinbefore mentioned,is wholly destitute of odor. The gases generated in the process are thus disposed of with out creating any odor and the remaining material is equally deprived of smell.

I am aware that various rendering processes have been devised heretofore, so that it is old to condense the vapors from the rendering tank, and also to utilize the gases by combustion; and also in some cases to dry the material within the rendering tank. I do not therefore claim any of such steps singly, but only the specific process herein set forth for extracting the grease from garbage and wholly drying the residue at a single operation without the discharge of offensive gases.

What I claim as my invention is- 1. The method herein described for extracting grease from garbage and wholly drying the residue ata single operation without the discharge of offensive gases, which consists first, in cooking the garbage with a suitable proportion of water in a closed receptacle, second, drawing off the products of distillation during such cooking and condensing the vapor thereof, thirdly, drawing off the grease and surplus water from the receptacle, fourthly, heating the residue of the garbage in the receptacle and drying the same before its discharge therefrom, and drawing oif the products of distillation during such drying operation, condensing the vapor and absorbing a portion of the gases by admixture with water, separating the water from the remaining gases, and delivering the gases deprived of their moisture into a furnace for combustion, substantially as set forth.

2. An apparatus for treating garbage without odor, comprising a tight garbage receptacle and means for heating the same, a j et condenser suitably connected therewith to condense the vapors, a Vacuum pump for drawing the Water and uncondensed gases from the condenser, a separator tank receiving the same from the vacuum pump,a furnace with a suitable connecting pipe to receive the gases from the separator, and an ejector inserted in such pipe to prevent a reflux of the gases within the pipe, substantially as herein set forth.

3. An apparatus for treating garbage and consuming the gases, comprising a tight garbage receptacle, a steam boiler with suitable connections to the receptacle for heating the same, a jet condenser suitably connected with the receptacle, a separator tank, and a vacuum pump connecting the same with the jet condenser, a pipe delivering the gases from the separator to the furnace of the steam boiler,

and an ejector inserted in such pipe to prevent a reflux of the gases within the pipe, substantially as herein set forth.

4. An apparatus for treating garbage and consuming the gases, comprising a tight garbage receptacle provided with an inlet and outlet for the garbage an inlet and outlet for water, and means for drawing ofi the fluid grease, a steam boiler with suitable connections to the receptacle for heating the same, a jet condenser suitably connected with the receptacle, a separator tank and a-vacuum pump connecting the same with the jet condenser, a pipe extended from the upper part of the separator to the rear of the boiler furnace, and an ejector inserted in such pipe to prevent a reflux of the gases within the pipe substantially as herein setforth;

5. An apparatus for treating garbage, comprising a tight garbage receptacle and a jet condenser suitably connected thereto, a steam boiler with connections for heating the garbage receptacle, a separator connected upon one side with the condenser by a vacuum pump, and upon the other side with the furnace of the boiler by a steam ejectorand suitable connections from the boiler for operating the ejector, substantially as hereinrset forth.

6. An apparatus for treating garbage, com-' prising a tight garbage receptacle, a jet condenser connected therewith, a steam boiler provided with afurnace, a separator connected upon one side with the condenser by a vacuum pump and upon the other side with the boiler furnace by a steam ejector, the discharge pipe extended through the side of the separator and having its end t extended downward inside of the tank with an air inlet at itshighest point, and steam connections from the boiler to the garbage receptacle and the ejector, substantially as herein set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

. EMIL HOLTHAUS.

Witnesses:

L. LEE, THOMAS S. CRANE. 

